During immersive, week-long sessions and NEW three-day themed seminars on location in Williamsburg, 25 participants and a Master Teacher engage in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies with American history as the focus. Teachers have the opportunity to exchange ideas with historians, meet character interpreters and become part of the story in The Revolutionary City. Throughout each day, teachers work collaboratively with Colonial Williamsburg staff and Master Teachers to examine interactive teaching techniques and develop instructional materials that bring history to life in the classroom.

Tuition for week-long Institute sessions: $2,200
Includes: A double-occupancy room [Teachers who would like their own room pay an additional fee.], most meals, admission to all Historic Area sites and program activities, and special access to materials in the Teacher Institute portion of our Education Resource Library. (Does not include airfare.)

Tuition for three-day themed seminars: $1,250
Includes: A double-occupancy room [Teachers who would like their own room pay an additional fee.], most meals, admission to all Historic Area sites and program activities, and special access to materials in the Teacher Institute portion of our Education Resource Library. (Does not include airfare.)

A $750 tuition option is available for the three-day themed seminars that does not include a hotel room, breakfasts, or airfare. This option is for local teachers who wish to commute from home or select their own hotel accommodations.

Educational materials: Comprehensive lesson plans, facsimiles of primary sources, and digital media are available online, on demand through the Colonial Williamsburg Education Resource Library. All have been selected to complement the Teacher Institute experience and help educators bring history to life in their classrooms.

Teachers not awarded scholarships and wishing to pay their own tuition should contact Valerie Perkins at vperkins@cwf.org.

WEEK-LONG TEACHER INSTITUTE

Elementary school sessions

Elementary school sessions focus on the daily life of colonial Virginians and the transition from subject to citizen that occurs during the revolutionary period. Teachers will be immersed in hands-on activities that highlight the stories of the people who lived and worked in eighteenth-century Williamsburg.

Middle school sessions

Middle school sessions
examine how the concept of American identity began in the colonial period and continues to evolve and transform with each generation. Through inquiry-based analysis of primary sources, teachers explore how that identity influenced American citizens to shape and change the Republic through the 1860s.

High school sessions

High school sessions study civics through the lens of American history by examining the idea that citizens are in a constant debate over the proper balance between essential American values. Teachers will learn to inspire active citizenship by exploring these enduring themes and making connections to present-day issues.

Institute in American History and Content Literacy

The Institute in American History and Content Literacy is designed for American history teachers in New York (enrollment preference is given to teachers from New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island) who have experience leading reading and writing workshops and want to do pioneer work in developing literacy-rich history curriculum. Participants will study early American history “on location” in Williamsburg, the restored capital city of 18th-century Virginia, while also thinking together about the intersection of best literacy practices and state of the art history instruction.

THREE-DAY THEMED SEMINARS

Straight from the Sources: Women during the American Revolution
(Grades 3–8)

Straight from the Sources seminars explore the lives, roles, and perspectives of eighteenth-century women. Participants will pursue a deeper understanding of women’s contributions and constraints during the time of the American Revolution.

Apprenticeships: STEM and Colonial Daily Life
(Grades 3–8)

Apprenticeships: STEM and Colonial Daily Life seminars explore the interdisciplinary links between colonial history and STEM in trades, specifically applied sciences and engineering. Through a hands-on, Project Based Learning (PBL) approach, participants engage with trade experts, investigate applied science principles such as the use of simple machines, chemical reactions, engineering, and combine these experiences into dynamic classroom lesson plans that incorporate primary sources and PBL.